Introduction
Hello, everyone. I’m Hidefumi Otsuka, offering Rolfing sessions in Shibuya, Tokyo.
How Rolfing Differs from Seitai and Massage — “Symptom” or “Structure”?
I have been offering sessions using the hands-on practice of Rolfing since June 2015. One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “How does Rolfing differ from seitai or massage?”
Seitai and massage are characterized by working mainly on the area that hurts — stiff shoulders, lower-back pain, a stiff neck — that is, on the symptom itself. Because this kind of symptomatic care doesn’t reach the underlying cause, the symptom is likely to return.
Rolfing, by contrast, understands that when the “structure” is brought into order, the “workings of the body” — its function — naturally come into order as well. Since the first priority is to settle the foundation, every session follows a set sequence and works with the whole body.
What’s interesting is that the effect of each session tends to last for some time afterward. This is because, within “structure,” it is the “fascia” that we attend to, restoring balance there — so the body comes to find, on its own, the posture in which it feels at ease. And when it tries to return to the old way, a sense of discomfort arises; the body begins to prefer the easeful posture, and the time it wishes to stay in that posture grows longer.
Below, I’ve summarized the differences between Rolfing and seitai/massage, so please take a look if you’re interested.
| Rolfing | Seitai / Massage | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Whole body, centered on the fascia | Local work on the area where symptoms appear |
| Time | Worked within a 60–75 minute session | Often short — 10–20 minutes |
| Effect | An easeful posture lasts. Understanding of bodily sensation deepens, and because one finds an easeful posture on one’s own, it takes hold. | Requires attending over a long period; being symptomatic care, posture is hard to bring into order. |
| Frequency | 10 sessions, once every 1–2 weeks, then once every 2–3 months | Weekly, or 1–2 times a week; requires the resolve to attend over a long period |
| Qualification | Trained abroad in the West, earning certification through 1,000 hours of training (movement certification included) | Possible even without qualification |
What does it mean to “bring the structure into order”? — Finding its true place, together
When I say the structure comes into order, I mean that the body knows its “true place” — its “answer.”
Each time a client arrives at the session room, I observe how they sit, stand, and walk. Taking “the easeful posture” as the clue, I work together with the client to find the answer that fits that one person.
Unfortunately, as people grow up, they learn — through parents, schoolteachers, and the workplace, within their relationships — “which posture is correct” and “which is wrong.” They come to reason about “good posture and bad posture” (or posture correction) with the head, and they stop valuing the body’s own sensations. However much knowledge one holds, what we understand about the human body is only a small part. In fact, the more knowledge one accumulates, anatomy included, the further one tends to drift from the body’s felt sense.
What matters is the easeful posture. With “correct” and “wrong,” the answer narrows to a single one; but with an easeful posture, the answer differs from person to person, because each body and skeleton is different. This is precisely why it’s so important to attend to “structure” in a session. The key is to find it together with the client.
Many clients are bound by long-held habits, and it takes time for their posture to settle. Yet those who resolve, without fail, to find their own easeful posture do find it: as they move through the steps of Rolfing, a kind of quiet miracle unfolds within the body, and they come to feel for themselves what it means for the structure to come into order. I’ve been fortunate to witness such moments many times.
Conclusion
What distinguishes my sessions is the way they bring the body into order, including through attention to diet and nutrition. If Rolfing interests you, please do come and visit.私のセッションは、食事や栄養を含め、身体を整えていくところに特徴がある。もし、ロルフィングのご興味のある方、ぜひ、お越しくださいね！！